“In the early 1890’s, the Eagle Lock Company and the
Andrew Terry Foundry were the two industries attracting the Polish people to
Terryville.By 1891, there was a sizable
group of Polish people residing here, although not large enough to be included
in the 1895 Centennial Book.They
worshipped in the ImmaculateConceptionChurch
on Main Street.This worship was in the English language,
which did not meet the needs of these immigrants.They were not ready to be absorbed into the
American “Melting Pot”, and wished to retain some of their own religious way.”

So starts the history of the Church of St. Casimir
in the 1981 Diamond Jubilee book.It was
these job opportunities that attracted many more Polish
settlers to Terryville by the turn of the century.In 1900 a group of
men gathered to form St. Casimir’s Society for the purpose of preserving the
Polish language and customs.It was this group of men that were instrumental in establishing the
Church of St. Casimir through adoption of a
resolution in 1902 outlining their reasons “to separate ourselves from the
Immaculate Conception Church and to organize our own Roman Catholic Church of
St. Casimir with a Polish priest”.Through a fund drive $500 was raised and land
was purchased on Burnham Street.When they found that this land was unsuitable
for a church, it was raffled off and the land on Allen Street was
purchased for $500.But,
still it was an uphill climb for these early settlers.They were met with
financial hardships; along with local and diocesan opposition.Four years later, in 1906, Father Joseph
Raniszewski was appointed pastor.A house at 31 East Main Streetwas
rented as a temporary rectory and served as the location for daily Masses.Sunday Mass was initially held at the
Immaculate Conception Church, and then in the Lyceum Hall.The land on Allen Streetwas
cleared and construction of the church and rectory started
simultaneously, with the rectory being completed first.In May 1906 the
cornerstone reading “St. Casimir Polish Roman Catholic Church” was laid.It was in the same year, on Labor Day, that
the Rt. Rev. Michael Tierney, Bishop of Hartford
blessed the new Polish church.

Pastors and Assistant
Pastors who have served at St. Casimir Church:

Pastors

Assistant
Pastors

Rev. Joseph Raniszewski1906
– 1911

Rev. Leo Suwinski

Rev. Ludwig Rusin1911 – 1918

Rev. John Rzasa

Rev. Paul Koszczyk1918 – 1920

Rev. Adolph Renkiewicz

Rev. Peter Kaczmarski1920 – 1932

Rev. Stanley Sikora

Rev. Peter Sroka1932 – 1959

Rev. Raymond Rubinowski

Rev. Julius Pac1959
– 1975

Rev. Paul Wysocki

Rev. Stephen Ptaszynski1976 – 1993

Rev. Daniel Karpey1993 – 1999

Rev. Gerald Dziedzic1999 -

Coming full circle it was in 1999 with a shortage of priests
to serve the Archdiocese of Hartford, that St. Casimir
Church and Immaculate Conception Church linked under one priest.Ten years later we
stand as two individual churches: strong in our own rights, but linked together
as we look to the future and join in a shared venture with the building of THE
LYCEUM.